Wrestling: Youth carrying Pirates, for better and worse

Monday

Jan 30, 2012 at 12:01 AM

It’s been argued in this space that the word “freshman” has little meaning in the wrestling world. You can do it or you can’t, and you mature a lot faster, out of necessity, as a 113-pounder on the mat every day than you would as a point guard, in for the last four minutes of a blowout game once every couple of weeks.

Here with proof of the contrary is the Cinnaminson wrestling team.

If you wonder how a team can beat New Egypt, as the Pirates did on Jan. 5, and then lose decisively to Delran, as they did six days later, Pirates coach Mike Beirao is a guy you can ask.

And the answer is going to be freshmen.

“I think there’s a real easy explanation,” Beirao said. “We have five freshmen and nine underclassmen in the starting lineup, and when you get that, you get some inconsistency, and it’s hard to keep a pace going.”

An overtime loss at 113 pounds was all that prevented the Pirates from beating Bordentown. Beirao said the team simply didn’t wrestle well against the Bears — though he was quick to add “and they did.”

But along with those maddening moments brought on by inconsistency, though, there are some real gems, like the one Jason Bowen turned against Dan Kinsella of Wall (14-4) on Saturday. Bowen (14-5) trailed, 8-0, after two periods, but took command in the third, and ended up an 11-10 winner.

“In the third period, he just didn’t stop going,” Beirao said. “We’ve changed things around a little bit in practice and changed workout partners, and Jason’s actually been wrestling with one of our assistant coaches. You could see how that’s worked out for him.”

The Pirates got a shot in the arm recently with the return of heavyweight Sam Ekwonike to the lineup. His presence means Jimmy Kennedy can move to 220. Those two, plus freshman Zach Sireci, give the Pirates three tough upper weights to contend with.

Sireci took an 11-2 record into Saturday’s tri-meet with Monmouth and Wall.

“Between coaching freshman football and wrestling, I’ve spent just about every day after school with him since September,” Beirao said. “I’ve really developed a relationship with him, and when you do that, you can forget, they’re just 14- and 15-year-old kids. They’re still getting their noses wet a little bit.”

The upside of all this is it means a bright future. Next year they won’t be inexperienced.

“Everybody’s coming back. Justin Pencook’s little brother is coming in. I’m really excited,” Beirao said. “On top of all that, they’re all good kids. I really enjoy being around them and I’m looking forward to the future.”

Unsung hero

It’s not a one-two punch, but a one-two-three punch.

Bordentown’s Justin McTamney and Chris Nitschmann were credited two weeks ago as “the heart of the Scotties’ lineup,” which isn’t completely true. It turns out they’re two thirds of the heart of the Scotties’ lineup.

Sophomore 120-pounder Robert DiPierro opened some eyes with his performance this weekend, when he went 6-0 at the Jack Welch Duals and pinned a pair of opponents. DiPierro has a 19-2 record this season and has won his last 13 matches. He won 16 times as a freshman and captured the District 26 title at 103 pounds.

Sure, negiotiating your way through McTamney and Nitschmann is tough, but chances are you’re going to be giving up points before you get there, too.

Good luck with that.

Trivia Answer

Former Burlington City wrestler Todd Jordan was first to supply the answer, followed in rapid succession by Delran coach Dennis Smith, former Pemberton coach Rick Little and John Brida, the Hornets’ former baseball coach. All of them identified Haddonfield’s Harold Falk as the wrestler who defeated Northern Burlington’s Andy Zuckerman in the 101-pound final at the Region 7 tournament in 1979. Smith recalled it was a second-period pin, which it was; Falk, who Zuckerman called “the strongest kid I ever wrestled,” caught him with a cradle at 3:24.

There was no rematch at the states. Falk lost in the quarterfinals to eventual fourth-place finisher Peter Poggi of Randolph. Zuckerman defeated Wall Township’s George Hoyt in the final 10-8.

Trivia Question

Seventeen different Delran wrestlers have won 24 Region 7 titles. Brett Matter won three of them. Can you name the five Bears who won two?

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